My NYSC Camp Experience (Episode 6)

THE KITCHEN

Hello my people, as I promised you guys in the previous episode, this episode is about my time in the kitchen.

Let’s go and make some delicious meal 🍮.

I already talked about how each platoons were mandated to send delegates to the kitchen (To assist people there) on rotation basis. Therefore, it started from platoon 1 followed by platoon 2 which I am in; till it got to platoon 10.

The very first Sunday in camp, we had our platoon meeting (Platoon 2); one of the topics of discussion was about platoon 2 delegations to the kitchen. Throughout the meeting I didn’t show any interest in the kitchen because I had foreseen how tight my schedule would be (I have not started OBS then). We arrived at a conclusion and the delegates names were penned down, they were quite many which was really good for our platoon. Those people volunteered 🤥.

How I got to the Kitchen

One beautiful afternoon, I was on my bed for a short nap, I heard the annoying sound of the beagle, fortunately , it was for lunch 💃 . As I was putting on my whites, Shugar came inside my room and she told me that our platoon members were on kitchen shift for that day. Unfortunately, those delegates did not show up, so our platoon inspector was there looking for platoon 2 members to force the kitchen duty on.

In a bid to escape this, Shugar told me to turn my card backward, she did the same too so that the inspector would not see our State Codes. We left for the kitchen feeling like a smart-ass . Kitchen was always filed with life as there was always a DJ on standby to play different genres of music.

When we got to the kitchen, the DJ was playing a hit (Burna Boy Gbona) then my silly Shugar got in the mood as she started dancing; she was giving them both the Zanku joined with Shaku Shaku. Later on, we were served and as we were about to leave, shugar started dancing again, the gbedu had really entered her body, I was telling her to hurry but she won’t listen😏! She was so engrossed and carried away that she was not aware when her card turned to the normal position, the platoon inspector saw her code number and found out she was a platoon 2 member.

The woman held Shugar down like a thief 🤣😂, I was quietly leaving as I was making jest of Shugar for being the cause of her own trap😁, shugar said “You are not going anywhere” within a blink, I saw some of my platoon members who had also fell a victim of the trap. The inspector got to know I am also a member of platoon 2 😑😥and she held me down; I was begging her to let me go, I did not volunteer to be in the kitchen! She turned her deaf ear. I could not leave the kitchen that day, I ate my lunch there and I was given apron to wear. I was almost in tears 😢

THE START

At first, the kitchen was quite interesting, you are exempted from early morning parades and evening parades. Our roles in the kitchen are: to wash the rice, peel yams, do dishes, wash pepper and all other kitchen aids.

Myself and Shugar

We didn’t cook but we helped in doing all other stuff, the very first day was filled with enthusiasm, I didn’t have any choice but to stay and enjoy my stay.

The very first day, we were expecting the dinner; we all worked tirelessly as we were all expecting good food in return. We all had it in our minds that our food would be different from other corps members, lol.

After working our ass out, we were told we won’t get our food or eat until every other corps members were fully served. I was already hungry but we had to regulate people’s movement in the kitchen, dance and entertain fellow corps members coming into the kitchen.

Kitchen duty

After everything, we were told to do the dishes that our own food was still on fire; we were so excited! Hmmm, We were called for our food but we were served less, lesser than just walking into the kitchen for our dinner. So after the stress; what was our gain? I already got tired of the kitchen at this point though; I didn’t want to be there! (I got the OBS message on my first day in the kitchen).

The Next Day

The next morning, we had to resume to the kitchen again, we were told to come as early as 3 am while I was also told to come to the OBS by 4am too. I set my priority right and I went to the OBS first after which I returned to the kitchen.

I seriously don’t want to be there, I was getting kitchen fever already. A lot of people want to be there so they can escape the lectures and all, but I found out I would have preferred siting down for lectures rather than stressing myself in the kitchen.

I was not lazy at all, I tried to work, wash pots, rice, pepper and all. after working for some time , there was a moment I need to sit down and stretch my back so I picked up my phone then one woman came around , she started looking at me with one bad eye, I didn’t know my offence.

Apparently, she thought I’ve not been working so she came to me and she rudely told me to follow her, which I did. Then, she told me to pick a bucket, I was still trying to figure out what was happening so I gently followed her, I was so calm and cool but seriously I was burning inside like “what the hell is wrong with this woman, I want to rest!”

She took me to one strange store; then she opened a refrigerator and she told me to pack the water inside. It could have been nice if the water was neat but it was a bloody fish water! They had earlier packed the fishes at the night before, so they left the stinking water there, the water was so disgusting that she couldn’t stand it! That wicked woman now told me to pack that nauseating water.

Well, I did pack the water with foam; I had to squeeze the water out of the foam. I touched the goddamn water. I had to touch that stinking cold water with my precious hands. So I did that with tears in my eyes, after that she told me to clean it up with neat water; I did that one too. She literarily gave me what she could not do (She was not able to stand the smell of the refrigerator) .

I left the store with the full determination that I was going to leave that kitchen with immediate effect, I did not want to deal with that shit again 😡 so I dropped my apron and the cap then I graciously walked out of the kitchen. I cried because I felt cheated on.

The Interesting part of the kitchen

I met lots of people in the kitchen; I created lasting bonds with them. I’ve seen these people from afar but the kitchen brought us together. We played and played and it got beyond the kitchen.

I had a play play husband in the kitchen (Lol, sorry Palis), his name is Chukwukadibia Paliechi, OC tied the nuptial knot. OC was the pastor that joined us together while shugar and others were the witnesses.

L-R Palis, OC and I

The kitchen was actually the first place where I met Palis, and we became a good friend, he is such a nice person. I clicked with OC from the kitchen and we became a very good friend too , OC is such a cool calm person with lots of tricky style. Rhoda was also part of the kitchen team, so lovely and fun to be with (check on them and other people in the next episode).

The Kitchen Team 😎

Shugar enjoyed her time in the kitchen, she escaped a lot of work but she was one of our major entertainers. What an amazing being! 😍😘.

My platoon members in the kitchen made it interesting but I left them all there after the sad incident of stinking fish water.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for reading you can also strike a deal with us by placing advertisements (+2348104037009 or aderonke854@gmail.com) 😎😉. Highly affordable 😍.

Don’t forget to drop your comment 😁😀😀😀…